Our bodies change significantly after losing weight, and for some people, these changes can affect the overall look of our skin. Recently the infamous Skinny Pen has been making headlines and going viral on TikTok with a whopping 371M+ views for being a fast and easy way to drop extra pounds.
And although many are praising the results, dermatologists have noticed an uptick in people seeking fillers to gain facial volume after weight loss from using Ozempic and other appetite suppressants.
Renowned NYC-based Board-Certified Dermatologist Dr. Ellen Marmur shared with HOLA! USA more details about the trending treatments she sees in her practice and how the Skinny Pen is bringing patients in for filler to restore facial volume.
What is Skinny Pen?
The Skinny Pen is a nickname for a new category of medicines that help with appetite suppression and weight loss, originally FDA-approved for diabetes, and now some are approved for weight loss. This is a transformative medicine, like statins are for cholesterol and Accutane is for acne, but there is a negative spin on it now due to its use by celebrities for weight loss. As a physician, the benefits of this new category of medicine will profoundly help many people lead healthier and happier lives.
How the Skinny Pen affects the skin?
Rare side effects that the skinny pen may have on the skin could be injection site rashes, skin redness, and swelling due to hypersensitivity reactions. It could also lead to improvement in skin conditions that are worsened with obesity, such as xerosis and impetigo. Skin laxity of the face and body can happen after the weight loss leading to new issues.
Losing weight rapidly leads to saggy skin. Please explain how you use fillers to restore facial volume.
Weight loss in the face can cause a gaunt, sunken look that creates an aged appearance. Many patients using the skinny pen are coming to our office, Marmur Medical looking to get dermal fillers to add volume back into certain areas of the face and body. We are doing many more skin tightening procedures of the full face, jawline, neck, eyelids, and 360‘ torso, followed by fat transfer, skin stimulators, or fillers. One area that thins is the mid-chest, where we inject Renuva, a tissue stimulator that induces normal fat to grow. Another high-priority area is the upper buttocks, where we avoid traditional hyaluronic acid fillers in high volumes and opt for Renuva, Sculptra, and hyperdilute Radiesse.
Are fillers a temporary measure? Do patients have to come back for more?
This all depends on the type of dermal filler a patient is interested in. New tissue stimulators generally require a series of sessions lasting up to ten years.
What are the dos and don’ts of fillers after losing so much weight?
I recommend that any patient interested in fillers on their weight loss journey start skin tightening and a small amount of filler before and after they hit their target goal. The face often loses weight early in the journey, and skin tightening takes up to 6 months to optimize. Many of our patients begin their treatments after they’ve lost about 15 pounds.
Is there an area where fillers should not be injected?
For your safety, see your board-certified dermatologist and their team at a doctor’s office, with all respect to medspas, where there might be talented injectors for any injections in your face or body. Every procedure has risks, and the massive amount of medical learning it takes to become a dermatologist is impossible to substitute at a medspa.
What are the red flags people need to pay attention to when seeking to get fillers?
Make sure you research the procedure and are informed about the risks and benefits. Ask your questions and if you feel unsure, then delay your treatment. Always ask to see the box and syringe of filler before ensuring it is exactly what you consented to have. You want to trust you are in good hands.
How do people need to take care of their skin after fillers? Can they use Retinol, hyaluronic acid, etc.?
Post-care instructions after fillers are to replenish serums with gentle ingredients like HA, aloe, and blue-green algae in MMSkincare’s Revive plus the green and red low-level light therapy to reduce inflammation, swelling, or bruising using the system’s MMSphere 2GO. You can resume exercising the next day; just avoid steam rooms and hot saunas for 24 hours due to the risk of increased bruising.
,type=downsize)